Contested Commons: History of Colonial Grazing..

association of Mudhra district which is part of Tamil Nadu region of Madras

Presidency passed a resolution in 1909 with a demand of ‘sufficient land must be set

apart for in each village’ for communal forests. 21

Another important strategy of rich peasants was that negotiating with state

authorities for control over village commons. A committee was appointed by the

Madras Government to suggest remedies for grievances related to forests rules.

This committee consisted of two natives belonging to dominant sections of agrarian

society. The report of this committee was published in 1912 by the Madras

government. This report reflects the strategy of colonial state in formulating policy

formulations. Collection of native opinion on policies was given priority and used as

justifying factors for policy interventions. The Madras forest committee interacted

mostly with rural elites belongs to Kamma, Reddy and Kapus and their caste men

worked as layers, village officials and government officials. The information gathered

in such a way that native opinion significantly favored for creation of communal

forests. This trend can be captured from the narrative of Ramachandra Rao, collector

of Nellore district proposed that: ‘village forests can be managed by village

panchayats’. 22

The demands of rich peasants are also well represented by caste associations

established by rich peasant castes and political activists who themselves belongs to

rich peasant castes. The Kamma caste happened to he one of important rich peasant

castes of Andhra region. The Kamma caste association known as the Kamma

Mahasahba was established in 1910. Between 1910-1940 thirteen conventions of

the Kamma Mahasabha were organized in different parts of Andhra region. Besides

demand such as education, reduction in land tax, creation of cooperative societies,

etc one of the consistent demand was reduction of grazing tax and creation of

communal forests. The Justice party which formed government in the Madras

Presidency dominated by several leaders belongs to Kamma caste. The leaders

belong to Kamma castes occupied several important positions in government and

bureaucracy. 23 Most of the governing process of colonial state including legislative

and bureaucracy occupied by Brahamns and rich peasant castes from village to

capital level. It was this factor that enabled the upper strata of South Indian society

not only articulate their specific demands but also able to prevail upon government

to initiate policy changes to address their demands.

The attitude of Madras government toward forests and wastelands located in

the settled agriculture region influenced by three factors: the Madras Forest Committee

recommended for creation of forest panchayats to avoid everyday forms of

confrontation between government and people: the strategies of the rural elites for

communal forests compelled the government to incorporate their demands into policy

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